benson-2017-big-football-corporate-social-responsibility-and-the-culture-and-color-of-injury-in-america-s-most-popular

Big Football: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Culture and Color of Injury

Introduction

  • Focus on media coverage of NFL concussions and limited academic inquiry into NFL's corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies.

  • Analysis of the NFL's CSR campaign as an "anti-politics machine" that shapes public discourse, depoliticizes sources of harm, and promotes technical solutions.

NFL's CSR Campaign

  • Strategies: harm reduction reforms (improved helmets, tackling techniques) and public relations.

  • Aims to invoke feelings of care, family values, and social sentimentality within the context of sports and health.

  • Perpetuates exploitation of marginalized groups while emphasizing player safety.

  • Posits a false sense of safety in a sport that incurs significant risks, particularly for men of color.

Comparison to Big Tobacco

  • Learning from the tobacco industry’s strategies for managing public criticism.

  • Use of science to minimize perceived risks while promoting "lower-risk" options.

  • NFL's modest reforms highlight the ongoing pressure against prohibitive measures affecting youth participants.

Cultural Context of Injury

  • Discussion of race, gender dynamics, and NFL's strategies to mitigate societal critique about injury and exploitation.

  • Analysis of how CSR campaigns affect social perceptions and uphold racial and gender inequalities.

  • Connection between cultural narratives surrounding masculinity and the normalization of injury in football.

Implications for Players and Community

  • Structural conditions and exploitation within football culture, particularly affecting young, marginalized males.

  • Discussion of subjective experiences regarding risk, injury, and organizational standards in player safety.

  • Challenges to the invocation of CSR initiatives while harmful practices persist.

Conclusion

  • Proposes a need for comprehensive approaches addressing structural issues rather than superficial CSR measures.

  • Emphasizes the necessity for critical perspectives on how football structures perpetuate health risks and social inequalities.